Theme or amusement parks have become increasingly popular. The ride attractions in such theme or amusement parks typically involve vehicles such as roller coaster type cars, rail cars, automobile type cars and the like which move along enclosed or continuous loop paths either on their own wheels or on a subcarriage or other support. Water ride attractions similarly have water vehicles, for example boats, submarines or flume vehicles moving through a water filled channel or flume path. In general, the vehicles in these types of ride attractions have seats for several passengers. The passengers step into the vehicle to seat themselves. At the end of the ride, the passengers similarly step or climb out of the vehicle.
In order to obtain access to the seats for such rides, the passengers must be able to walk, step up, step down or to one side with at least a nominal level of agility. As a result, the disabled persons are largely prevented from enjoying these types of theme park ride attractions. Wheel chair users and others having limited mobility while increasingly gaining access to public and private buildings, transportation systems and other facilities remain virtually excluded from most if not all of the premier attractions at amusement and theme parks.
In addition to the foregoing, when a disabled person such as a paraplegic is to receive physical therapy, such is generally provided either by placing the individual on a table or placing the individual on a mat on the floor. Typically in order to have the disabled person transported from the wheel chair to the table or the mat, the physical therapist must lift the disabled person from the wheel chair onto the table or onto the mat. This typically is very difficult for the physical therapist and in many instances the physical therapist does not have the strength to accomplish this and in any event the disabled person is ill at ease by such movement.
As a result of the foregoing, there is a need for a transfer accessible vehicle which will allow the disabled person in a wheelchair to be positioned such that the person may maneuver themselves from the wheel chair onto such a transfer accessible vehicle and from the transfer accessible vehicle onto a seat in a ride in a theme or amusement park or alternatively to a table or mat where a physical therapist may provide the physical therapy.